Patient Care Tech

Patient Care Technician - Observation Unit Shift: Nights (7p-7a) FTE status: 0.6 On-call: No Weekends: Yes General Summary: Under the direction of a Registered Nurse (RN), the Patient Care Technician (PCT) provides basic nursing care to patients and performs related tasks necessary to support the unit. Requirements: Minimum High School Diploma or GED required. Must meet one of the following requirements: Current Certified Nurse Aide (CENA) certification, or Current enrollment (and continued progression) in a health science program required with completion of nursing fundamentals course and/or one clinical rotation preferred. Equivalent enrollment considered will include but is not limited to: Nursing School, Pre-PA School, Medical School, or closely related health science program, or Equivalent experience. Equivalent experience considered will include but is not limited to: Medical Assistant, Paramedic, Medical First Responder, EMT, Nurse Tech, Resident Aid/Assistant, or LPN. Basic understanding of Medical Terminology, Anatomy, Physiology, and Patient Confidentiality is preferred. Current Basic Life Support (BLS/CPR) provider required. Experience in acute care or extended care facility preferred. Able to successfully complete unit-specific core competencies as defined in the orientation check-list. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: ACTIVITY / COMFORT: Assist patients with activity of daily living and provides for patient comfort. This responsibility includes making occupied and unoccupied beds; turning and positioning patients in bed; ambulating and dangling patients; transfers patients; performs passive and assisting with active range-of-motion exercises. HYGIENE: Assist patients with hygiene activities. PROCEDURES: Indwelling urinary catheter care (excluding insertion, removal and irrigation); changing non-sterile dressings; providing ileostomy/colostomy care. Assisting with postmortem care. NUTRITION: Assist patients with nutrition including passing trays, snacks and drinking water; feeding patients; and measuring and recording intake from dietary trays. ELIMINATION: Assist patients with elimination needs recording accurate input and output. Empties other drains as designated by the RN. SPECIMEN COLLECTION: Collects and labels sputum, urine, and stool specimens for laboratory testing; testing urine for sugar, acetone, blood or pH; straining urine for kidney stones; and using the glucometer to test blood glucose levels. VITAL SIGNS / MEASUREMENT: Measures and record accurate vital signs and weight including oral and tympanic temperature, radial and apical pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate; and using standing, chair, sling and bed scales to measure weight. EQUIPMENT: Uses equipment and supplies safely and appropriately. This includes assisting patients with incentive spirometry; setting up oxygen flow meters; setting up suction equipment and disposing of suction canisters; and applying and removing ice bags, moist or dry heat, ace bandages, arm slings, binders, supports, anti-embolism stockings, sequential compression devices (SCDs), restraints. INFECTION CONTROL: Assists with controlling the spread of infection by using aseptic technique; adhering to universal/standard precautions; caring appropriately for patients with special isolation precautions; passing clean linen and bagging and disposing of soiled linen; replacing full sharps containers; cleaning equipment between patients' use; and cleaning equipment prior to return to Central Processing Department (CPD). DOCUMENTATION: Document care given as directed by the RN. COMMUNICATION: Communicates effectively using Vocera, unit paging system, telephone system and pneumatic tube system; answering patient call lights; reporting observations to the RN; keeping the RN informed of care delivered; maintaining patient confidentiality. Performs other duties as assigned. These may include but are not limited to: Performing tasks assigned by the Registered Nurse in charge to facilitate department efficiency. Maintaining a current knowledge base of department processes and procedures for patient care, pursuing self-directed learning and continuing education opportunities, and participating on committees, task forces, and work groups as determined by management.